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(No Model.)

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BICYCLE BRAKE.

No. 595,106 Patented Dec. 7, 1897.

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OTTO KRAUS, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

BECYCLE-BRAKE-L SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No.595,106, dated December 7, 1897.

Application filed November 16, 1896. Serial No. 612,191- (No model.)

T0 (I/ZZ whom it may concern.

Beitknown that I, OTTO KRAUS, a citizen of the United States of America,and a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes forBicycles,ofwhich the following isa specification.

My invention has reference to improvements in brakes for bicycles andother velocipedes, and has for its object to provide a brake-leveradapted to be attached directly to the handle-bar without the use ofpins or pivots.

The nature of my invention will best be understood when described inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 representsa plan or top view of a handle-bar provided with my improved brakelever.Fig. 2 is a rear view, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a perspective, on anenlarged scale, of the locking-lug for holding the brake-lever withinthe handle-bar and for limiting its downward motion. Fig. 4 is a bottomview of a portion of the handle-bar. Fig. 5 is a vertical section takenthrough the lower end of the brake-plunger. Fig. 6 is a section in theplane 6 6, Fig. 5, drawn on an enlarged scale.

Similar letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the letter a designates a tubular handle-barprovided with a post 1, fitted into the upper end of the fork stem ortube Z) and adapted to be secured by a suitable clamp c, all as usual.In the handle-bar and to one side of the post 1 are formed twodiametrically opposite slots 2 and 3, adapted for the passage of thebrake-lever (Z. Said lever has a handle 4:, following substantially thecurvature of the handle-bar and placed within reach of the hand andformed with an arm 5, which engages with its outer end the fork 11 ofthe brake-rod c, and said lever is also formed with an intermediateportion 6 at substantially right angles to the proximity to the outerend of the slot 3, while the shoulder or offset 7 forms a fulcrum aboutwhich the lever turns and the use of a pivot is dispensed with. Thelower slot is made of a sufficient length to permit the lever to bepassed through the handle-bar, and said slot is partially closed by anysuitable devicc such, for instance, as the locking-lug 10, made I shapein cross-section, with a contracted neck ll. and with flanges 12 onopposite sides of said neck. The sides of the slot 3 are notched, as at13 13, to permit the passage of the flanges of the locking-lug, said lugafter insertion being slid toward the left of Fig. 4: to secure it inplace. This locking-lug prevents the lever from falling out of thehandle-bar and also serves as a stop to limit the outward motion of saidlever. The brakeshoe J, of any usual construction, is attached to thelower end of the brake-plunger tube 17,which latter is prevented fromturning by a longitudinal recess 1e, formed in the same and engaged by aprojection 16 on a disk 15, secured in the lower end of the fork-stem.The fork-stem is secured in any usual wellknown manner into thesteering-head tube g. The brake-shoe J may be readjusted when thehandlebar is raised or lowered by turning the threaded brake-rod e ofthe plunger. A spring h, acting on the disk 15 and on the plunger-head,normally holds the brake from the tire and the brake-lever away from thehandle-bar.

It will be noticed that when the arm of the brake-lever is seated in thenotch at the upper end of the brake-rod e the latter is prevented fromturning, and consequently the position of the brake-shoe is immovablyfixed with respect to the saidbrake-rod. In adj ust-ing the brake tocorrespond to an adjustment in the height of the handle-bar thebrake-lever is disengaged from the fork 11 of the brake-rod, so that thelatter may be turned.

IVhat I claim as new is 1. A brake-lever formed with a handle, an armand with an intermediate portion adapted to extend through thehandle-bar tube and provided with an offset or shoulder forming abearing adapted to contact with the inner surface of the handle-bar andwith bearingsurfaces, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a handle-bar having oppositely-placed slots, ofa brake-lever extending through said slots and provided with an offsetor shoulder forming afulcrum about which said lever turns, and with twobearing-surfaces engaging the inner end of the upper slot and with thebottom of the handle-bar tube and a brake placed in connection with thebrake-lever, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a handle-bar having oppositely-placed slots, ofa brake-lever extending through said slots and provided with an offsetor shoulder forminga fulcrum about which said lever turns, and with twoconcentric bearing-surfaces engaging the inner end of the upper slot andwith the bottom of the handle-bar tube, a locking-lug partially closingthe lower slot and a brake placed in connection with the brake-lever,substantially as described.

4. In a velocipede, the combination of the handle-bar, the steering-headtube, the fork stem or tube, an adjustable brake-plunger provided with alongitudinal recess, a disk fitted to the fork-stem and provided with aprojection engaging said recess, a brake-shoe attached to said plunger,and a brake-lever extending through the handle-bar and engag ing theupper end of the brake-plunger, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a tubular handlebar having oppositely-placedslots, of a brakelever extending through said slots and provided with ashoulder or offset forming a fulcrum, and with a concentricbearing-surface adapted to engage with the inner end of the upper slot,a locking-lug partially closing the lower slot, and a brake placed inconnection with the brake-lever, substantially as described.

6. In a velocipede, the combination of a tubular handle-bar, abrake-lever passing through said handle-bar and having its fulcrumwithin the latter, a brake and a brake rod having its upper end forkedfor the reception of the arm of the brake-lever, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of October, 1896.

OTTO KRAUS.

NVitnesses:

EUGENIE A. PERSIDES, A. FABER DU FAUR, Jr.

